Hindustantimes wants to start sending you push notifications. Click allow to subscribe

Follow the bloody trail: Cool crime tours around the world

Hindustan Times | By
Oct 30, 2020 06:13 PM IST

From mobsters in Shanghai and Pablo Escobar’s escape route to Melbourne’s brothels and the history of justice in Frankfurt, see how cities look at their criminal pasts and mine them for tourist revenue.

Kyoto, JapanUnderground Kyoto TourOn a walk through the Matsukoni area, where Kyoto’s grey markets flourish, visitors can see how the underground economy (and Japan’s crime-network, the Yakuza) operates. There’s also a visit to the city’s largest ghetto for the marginalised Burakumin community.

Palermo, ItalyAnti-Mafia TourTo celebrate the heroes and martyrs who stood up to the Italian crime syndicates, Palermo offers a curated tour. It covers non-violent protest sites, a gallery of artists who took a stand against cartels, and a memorial to judges and prosecutors killed by the mafia.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

Melbourne, AustraliaGangsters, Brothels & Lolly ShopsLeave aside the fact that Australia was initially where the Crown banished its criminals. This crime tour highlights the era from the 1850s to 1930s, when Little Lon, a slum quarter in Melbourne was bustling with opium dens, cocaine cafés, sly grogs or speakeasies, ‘Lolly shops’ that were actually brothels, and men of ill repute. The area was home to Australia’s most famous gangster, the wonderfully named Leslie ‘Squizzy’ Taylor, and an all-women crime network called The Combine.

Shanghai, ChinaThe Shady Side of ShanghaiThis gangster tour looks at opium kingpins and crime lords in the early 20th century, like Big Eared Du (who thought monkey heads were lucky) and Pockmarked Huang who distributed drugs in police cars. The trail covers the spots where their palatial hangouts and clubhouses once stood. As a bonus, you learn how to cheat at Blackjack.

via GIPHY

Chicago, USADevil & The White City TourThis was among the first cities to monetise its mobster past; there are Al Capone tours featuring guides in costume. This one, however, covers the grisly exploits of the serial killer HH Holmes, who operated the infamous Murder Castle during the World’s Columbian Exposition in 1893. The tour covers the spots where Holmes picked up victims and what’s left of the fair today. Participants can get an inside look at Chicago in 1893 and what the world saw when it came to the Windy City.

Medellín, ColombiaPablo Escobar Escape RouteColombia’s crime-ridden cities are now so notorious (Netflix’s Narcos helped), they support a thriving crime-tourism industry. Visitors are encouraged to witness the transformation of neighbourhoods, and the revenues from these walks help fund local efforts to curb crime. The Pablo Escobar Escape Route tour is run by Medellin City Services, and led by a former police officer who pursued the drug lord. It covers the infamous drug dealer’s neighbourhood and his lair (with helipad, dungeons, dorms and an escape tunnel).

Gothenburg, SwedenGoteborg Crime WalkLong before The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, Sweden’s true-crime stories were sending chills down people’s spines. This walk recreates the city of the 19th century, down the historic narrow streets of Haga, when murder, theft, prostitution and smuggling were part of city life. “Among other things you’ll find out why Anna Brita cut up her best friend,” says the site. “But you’ll also meet Pernilla, the horrifying baby-farmer.” What?

London, UKThe Jack The Ripper TourIt’s been offered since 1982. Expert guides (some of whom have written books on the subject) lead visitors down East End’s winding alleys, where Jack murdered five women in 1888. He was never identified, let alone caught. Included, unusually, are photos of the area from back then, and copies of actual flyers circulated to catch Jack.

Dublin, IrelandOld Dublin Crime TourIreland’s capital has had drug-related gangs and associated organised crime since the ’70s. On this tour, however, the bad old days are really old. The guide, John (who does not use his last name), a lifelong Dublin resident, has a Master’s degree in History, specialising in historical crime. He leads participants through the city’s streets, covering events from the Viking age to the end of Queen Victoria’s reign.

Frankfurt, GermanyHistory of CrimeA walk that focuses not on the bad guys but the history of law and order in the city. There are visits to memorable scenes of crime, but also guard towers and prisons. You’ll see several former courts of justice, where famous cases from the Middle Ages to the 1950s were tried. And the apartment where Rosemarie Nitribitt, prostitute to the rich and powerful, was found strangulated, causing a national scandal in 1957.

Oscars 2024: From Nominees to Red Carpet Glam! Get Exclusive Coverage on HT. Click Here

Catch your daily dose of Fashion, Health, Festivals, Travel, Relationship, Recipe and all the other Latest Lifestyle News on Hindustan Times Website and APPs
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Topics
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
OPEN APP